Odisha day−care centre deaths: Court hikes compensation

Bhubaneswar, Nov 20 (IANS) The Orissa High Court Tuesday directed the government to pay Rs.5 lakh compensation to each of the families of the seven children who were killed due to the collapse of a wall of a state run−day care centre July 9.

In response to two public interest petitions, the division bench of Chief Justice V. Gopal Gauda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra at Cuttack directed the authorities to pay the compensation within four weeks, Prabir Das, a lawyer and one of the petitioners, told IANS.

The court also asked the government to bear the medical expenses of those injured in the incident and directed the authorities to take adequate safety measures to avoid such incidents in the future, Das said.

The court directed the government to take action against the functionaries responsible for such shocking incidents, he said.

The day−care centre (locally known as Anganwadi centre) collapsed in Suansia village in Nayagarh district, about 90 km from here.

Three children were buried alive while four others died in a hospital. The state government had earlier given Rs.2 lakh ex−gratia each to the families of those killed. The money already paid would be adjusted in the compensation awarded by court.